One-piece plural size rail anchor



April 16, 1963 PL s. MAIQGRAF ONE-PIECE PLURAL SIZE RAIL ANCHOR 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 12. 1960 INVENTOR.

April 16, 1963 Rs. MARGRAF 3,085,748

ONE-PIECE PLURAL SIZE RAIL ANCHOR Filed Dec. 12. 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I 1 i0 33 i3 g 3 ga .29

VERTICAL COMPONENT 0.6.92 OF E HORIZONTAL COMPONENT 0. 7257 or F fitates The present invention relates to a one-piece rail anchor device made from low carbon steel bar stock and adapted to be flexed into resilient gripping engagement with the base portion of a railway rail in a position to abut against an adjacent vertical face of a crosstie and thereby resist longitudinal creeping movement of the rail relative to the crosstie.

It is current practice in the production of one-piece rail anchors of the above general class to form the anchor device for application to a railway rail having a base portion of a definite width and thickness. It is also important to maintain close tolerances in the construction of the anchor device so as to insure a tight resilient grip of the device on the rail and, at the same time, avoid overflexing of the anchor device during its application to its applied position on the rail.

Inasmuch as rail anchors of the above general class, as heretofore proposed, are limited in their use to rail sections having base portions of a specified size classification, some efforts have been made, heretofore, to produce a one-piece anchor device composed of low carbon steel and having sufiicient versatility to resiliently grip rail bases of different size classifications. However, in spite of the desirability for a plural size rail anchor, the various one-piece anchor constructions heretofore proposed for application to rail bases of different widths and thicknesses have not been entirely satisfactory, since if they are made to provide an adequate resilient grip for a rail base of one size classification, they are normally overflexed and, therefore, weakened by their application to rail bases of larger size classifications.

A principal object of the present invention is to provide an improved anchor of the above general class adapted to be made from bar steel having a low elastic limit, but which, in addition to presenting the recognized general advantages of a plural size one-piece rail anchor such as making it no longer necessary to maintain large inventories of rail anchors of fixed sizes, each being designed to fit only a rail base of special size, provides a novel construction whereby the anchor device can be flexed to its applied position on railway rails having base flanges of different widths and thicknesses Without exceeding the elastic limit of the anchor device.

The present invention attains the above objects by so forming the anchor device that it can be applied to rail sections of different sizes, Within a prescribed classification range, without subjecting the anchor to appreciably different amounts of overall flexing during its application to rail bases of different size classification. The anchor device also presents a further unexpected advantage in that even though it is not subjected to appreciably different amounts of flexing to apply it to rail bases of different size classifications, it will exert a desirably increased gripping force on the rail section of larger size classification and thereby supplies additional gripping force to resist the greater creeping pressures-which are normally exerted by the larger rail section, since they are subjected to more traflic than the smaller rail. This increased gripping force is obtained not by increasing the distortion or flexure or" the anchor device during its installation on the larger rail, but rather by altering its angular position relative to the rail base and thereby alter the angularity of the center line of thrust through a terminal bearing of the anchor, whereby the portions of the its application to a rail.

3,li85,748 Patented Apr. 16, 1963 anchor device constituting rail gripping levers thereof are varied in respect to their effective lengths and thereby increase the rail gripping force exerted on rail base portions of larger size.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side view in elevation of a one-piece rail anchor device, constructed in accordance with this invention, applied to the base portion of railway rail of one size classification in a position to abut against an underlying crosstie on which the rail is supported;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the structure shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a view partly in elevation and partly in section looking at the end of the rail anchor device from the position of line 33 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. -1 but illustrating the improved anchor device applied to a base portion of a rail of larger size classification than the base portion shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the vectorial component forces exerted by the rail anchor device when it is applied to a rail base of the size shown in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 6 is a similar diagram illustrating the vectorial component forces exerted by the anchor device when it is applied to a larger rail base as shown in FIG. 4.

Referring first to FIGS. 1, 2, 3 and 5 of the drawings: 19 designates a railway rail base portion of a predetermined width and thickness. It is seated on a rail supporting structure comprising a conventional tie-plate 11 and a wooden crosstie 12 underlying the tie plate and the rail. Conventional rail spikes 13, driven into the crosstie through spike openings 14- formed in the plate,

serve, in cooperation with spaced apart shoulders 15 on the tie plate, to maintain the rail base on said supporting structure with capacity for slight vertical movement of the rail base relative to the tie plate.

The improved rail anchor of the present invention is designated generally by the reference numeral 16'. It is shown clamped to'the rail base 10 in a position to abut against one vertical face of the crosstie 12- and servesto prevent the rail from creeping in one direction across the rail supporting structure.

The improved anchor is designated as a whole by the reference numeral 16 and comprises a rolled metal bar, preferably of rectangular configuration, formed at one end with a curved end loop 17 of suificient diameter to extend around one flange 18 of the rail base 10, but with substantial clearance both above and below the top and bottom surfaces of said base flange 18 so that the loop 'may be moved freely in a vertical plane about this flange to vary the angular position of the anchor device during The terminal end of the loop 17 is upset to form an enlargementconstituting a head 19 which is formed with a curved bearing surface 20 which seats on the fillet 21 located at one side of the rail at the junction of the vertical web 22 with the base portion 19 from which the anchor is formed.

The said loop 17 extends a substantial distance below the top surface of the crosstie 12 and provides tie abutting portion of substantial area located at one side of the rail.

The loop includes a curvilinear under-rail portion which merges into a straight under-rail portion 23 extending to the opposite side of the rail base. This straight portion 23, when the anchor is applied to a rail base of the width shown in FIG. 1, provides a frictional face 24 of the area indicated by the multiple arrows 25 for engag ing the bottomsurface of the rail base flange 26. The

terminal end of the under-rail portion 23 is formed with an uppressed locking shoulder 27 for engaging the edge face 28 of the base flange 26 to lock the anchor device in its applied position on the small size rail base 10 shown in FIG. 1. The said terminal end of said underrail portion 23 is also provided with a locking lug 29 which projects above the top surface 30 of shoulder 27 and is adapted to engage an edge surface of a rail base of larger size classification, for example the rail base shown in FIG. 4. The construction and function of the locking lug will be further described hereinafter in connection with FIG. 4 of the drawings.

Operation The loop end 17 of the anchor device is hooked over a rail base flange with the rail gripping head 19 thereof engaging an arcuate area 31 of the fillet 27. In this position of the anchor, the under-rail portion 23 thereof will be biased upwardly by the greater weight of the loop end of the anchor until the top inner edge 32 of shoulder 27 engages the bottom surface of the rail base flange 26 in the region of the vertical edge surface 33 of the rail base. The loop end 17 is then struck with sufficient impact force by means of a suitable impact implement, such as a sledge or track maul, to flex the loop in a direction to force the straight under-rail portion 23 of the anchor transversely of the rail base until the locking shoulder 27 clears the edge 33 of the base. When this occurs the force thus applied to the anchor device imparts a counterclockwise downward rolling movement to the curved terminal bearing surface '20 along the curved surface of the fillet 21 and thereby rocks the anchor, as a whole, until the locking shoulder 27 snaps up into locking engagement with the edge surface 33 of the rail base flange 26. This upward movement of the locking shoulder end of the anchor device also moves the top face of the straight under-rail portion 23 into flat frictional contact with the bottom surface of the rail base flange 26.

When the anchor is in its applied position, the principal gripping force is produced by the resilient reaction of the tensioned loop 17 and this force is directed diagonally downwardly through the rail base. The center line of this diagonal thrust will, of course, be normal to the arc of the bearing surface 20 engaged with the fillet 21 of the rail. This center line of thrust, for purpose of illustration, is indicated at F in FIG. 1. The total gripping force of the anchor device as installed in FIG. 1 of the drawings is indicated diagrammatically in FIG. of the drawings. The angle of the center line of thrust F will, of course, vary for rail bases of different widths and thicknesses, since the rail anchor assumes different angular positions on the smaller and larger rail sections, respectively. Considering the rail base as having a predetermined horizontal width A and a predetermined thickness B, the straight portion 23 of the anchor will assume a horizontal position with its friction face 24 bearing flat against the bottom surface of the rail base. Consequently the angle of the center line of diagonal thrust will vary for rails of different widths and thicknesses. In the specific installation shown in FIG. 1, the width A and the thickness B of the rail base are 5 /2 inches and 1% inches, respectively, and the center line of diagonal thrust F extends downwardly at an angle of 4340 relative to the bottom surface of the base. Consequently the effective lengths of the portions of the anchor for exerting the grip on the rail are such that the horizontal component of the total grip (see FIG. 5) has a vectorial value of 0.725% of the diagonal force F and the vertical force component has a vectorial value of 0.69% of the diagonal force F.

Referring now to the installation shown in FIG. 4 of the drawings wherein the rail anchor device shown in FIG. 1 is applied to a larger rail section, the base of which is designated 10a: This rail base is somewhat wider and thicker than the rail base 10 shown in FIG. 1. Consequently the tie plate designated 11a is made to accommodate the wider rail base, but the rail anchor device in both FIGS. 1 and 4 are of identical construction. Therefore, the like parts of the rail anchor illustrations are identified by the same reference characters in all figures of the drawings. The specific width G and thickness H of the rail base 10a are 6 inches and 1 inches, respectively. In order to facilitate application of the rail anchor device to the larger size rail base 10a, the distance C between the vertical face of the shoulder 27 and the vertical face 34 of the locking lug 29 is equal to the difference in the width of the rail base 10 and the rail base 1011. It will also be observed that the vertical face 34 of the locking lug 29 is inclined inwardly at an angle relative to the top face 31 of vertical face 27 so that the shoulder 34 will fit flush against the edge surface 33a of the rail base when the anchor is applied to the larger size rail. However, in order that the anchor device may be applied to the larger size rail base without greater flexing of the loop transversely of the rail and without greater expansion of the open end of the loop 17 than the corresponding fleXure and expansion of the loop when applied to the smaller rail base section shown in FIG. 1, the height D of shoulder 27 is such as to maintain the anchor device at an appropriate angle whereby the expansion of the open end of the loop, when the anchor is applied to the larger size rail base, will be the same as the expansion of said loop when the anchor is applied to the smaller size rail base shown in FIG. 1. In this connection it will be observed that when the anchor device is applied to the larger size rail base 10a the anchor is turned in a vertical plane about the base flange embraced to a position wherein the bottom surface of the rail base is engaged only by the top of the locking shoulder 27 and at a point 35 on the curved under-rail portion of said end loop 17 intermediate said terminal bearing 20 and the point of tangency of said friction face 24 with the curved under-rail portion of said loop 17. It will be further observed that the latter bearing point of the anchor, when the face 24 is in a horizontal position (see FIG. 1) exj tends below said point of tangency and extends above said point of tangency when the anchor is turned about the rail base flange 10a to said angular position. Also the top surface 30 of the shoulder 27 assumes an acute angle relative to the bottom surface of the rail base so that the shoulder 27 bears only at its upper corner 32 against the bottom surface of the rail base 10a.

It will be also observed that by virtue of the angular position of the anchor device on the rail as shown in FIG. 4, the rounded bearing surface 20 at the terminal end of the hook is rolled upwardly on the fillet 21a of the rail base 10a so that the center line of thrust F through the terminal end of the loop assumes the angular position shown in FIG. 1, whereby the altered position of the terminal bearing in combination with the bottom bearing 35 accommodates the greater thickness of said rail base 10a without increasing the expansion of the end loop 17. In such case the line F, being normal to the arc 31a of the bearing surface 20 bearing against the fillet 21a and corresponding to the center line of force which is directed diagonally downward through the rail base, extends at an angle of 33 relative to the bottom face of the rail base. Consequently the horizontal component of the total grip (see FIG. 6) has a vectorial value of 0.83% of the diagonal force F and the vertical force component has a vectorial value of 0.55% of the diagonal force F.

From the above description it will be observed that the anchor device when applied to a rail base of the width and thickness shown in FIG. 4 develops a horizontal grip component which is 11% greater than the corresponding grip component of the anchor device when it is applied to a smaller size rail base and this additional gripping force is obtained, and thereby provides greater resistance to the creeping forces exerted by the larger rail, without subjecting the loop portion 17 of the anchor device to greater flexure than is required to apply the anchor device to the smaller size rail.

I claim:

1. A one-piece rail anchor for resiliently gripping conventional railway rail base portions of different size classifications, comprising a metal bar having an end loop for embracing a flange at one side of any one such rail base portion with clearance above and below said flange to facilitate movement of the loop thereabout in a vertical plane and provided with a terminal bearing for seating against the fillet at the junction of said flange with the vertical web of the rail and provided also with a curvilinear under-rail portion connecting with a straight under-rail portion the upper surface of which is tangent to a curved under-rail surface of said end loop and constitutes a friction face extending from its outer end to its point of tangency, the latter of which is located intermediate the outer end of said friction face and said terminal bearing, for frictionally engaging the bottom surface of a rail base of a selected size classification, an upwardly projecting shoulder at the outer end of said friction face for locking the anchor on said rail base of selected size classification and serving also, when the anchor is applied to a rail base of larger size classification, to bear against the bottom surface thereof so as to hold the anchor turned to an angular position about the base flange embraced, whereby the anchor in such turned angular position has points for frictionally contacting the bottom surface of said larger rail base only at the top of said locking shoulder and at a point on the curved under-rail portion of said loop located intermediate said terminal bearing and the point of tangency of said loop with said flat frictional face, which latter point of contact, when the anchor is turned to said angular position, extends above said point of tangency, and a locking lug for locking the anchor in its applied position on said rail base of larger size classification.

2. A one-piece rail anchor according to claim 1 wherein the top surface of said locking shoulder when the anchor is turned to said angular position inclines downwardly and outwardly, whereby its contact with the bottom surface of the rail base of larger size classification is restricted to a location spaced inwardly from said locking lug.

3. A one-piece rail anchor according to claim 2 wherein said locking lug is positioned to extend above the top face of said locking shoulder.

4. A one-piece rail anchor according to claim 3 wherein the said locking shoulder has an inner vertical face perpendicular to the straight body portion for engaging a vertical edge face of the rail base of smaller size classification and said inner face of the said locking lug is spaced from the inner face of said locking shoulder a distance equal to the difference in width of the rail bases of said smaller and larger size classifications, Whereby the anchor device is subjected to like amounts of fiexure during its application to rail bases of smaller and larger size classifications for which it is designed to fit.

5. A one-piece rail anchor according to claim 4 wherein the curvature of the upper portion of the terminal bearing surface is substantially semi-circular so as to facilitate upward rolling movement on the fillet of the rail base when the anchor is applied to said rail base of larger size classification.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,746,401 Moore et al Feb. 11, 1930 

1. A ONE-PIECE RAIL ANCHOR FOR RESILIENTLY GRIPPING CONVENTIONAL RAILWAY RAIL BASE PORTIONS OF DIFFERENT SIZE CLASSIFICATIONS, COMPRISING A METAL BAR HAVING AN END LOOP FOR EMBRACING A FLANGE AT ONE SIDE OF ANY ONE SUCH RAIL BASE PORTION WITH CLEARANCE ABOVE AND BELOW SAID FLANGE TO FACILITATE MOVEMENT OF THE LOOP THEREABOUT IN A VERTICAL PLANE AND PROVIDED WITH A TERMINAL BEARING FOR SEATING AGAINST THE FILLET AT THE JUNCTION OF SAID FLANGE WITH THE VERTICAL WEB OF THE RAIL AND PROVIDED ALSO WITH A CURVILINEAR UNDER-RAIL PORTION CONNECTING WITH A STRAIGHT UNDER-RAIL PORTION THE UPPER SURFACE OF WHICH IS TANGENT TO A CURVED UNDER-RAIL SURFACE OF SAID END LOOP AND CONSTITUTES A FRICTION FACE EXTENDING FROM ITS OUTER END TO ITS POINT OF TANGENCY, THE LATTER OF WHICH IS LOCATED INTERMEDIATE THE OUTER END OF SAID FRICTION FACE AND SAID TERMINAL BEARING, FOR FRICTIONALLY ENGAGING THE BOTTOM SURFACE OF A RAIL BASE OF A SELECTED SIZE CLASSIFICATION, AN UPWARDLY PROJECTING SHOULDER AT THE OUTER END OF SAID FRICTION FACE FOR LOCKING THE ANCHOR ON SAID RAIL BASE OF SELECTED SIZE CLASSIFICATION AND SERVING ALSO, WHEN THE ANCHOR IS APPLIED TO A RAIL BASE OF LARGER SIZE CLASSIFICATION, TO BEAR AGAINST THE BOTTOM SURFACE THEREOF SO AS TO HOLD THE ANCHOR TURNED TO AN ANGULAR POSITION ABOUT THE BASE FLANGE EMBRACED, WHEREBY THE ANCHOR IN SUCH TURNED ANGULAR POSITION HAS POINTS FOR FRICTIONALLY CONTACTING THE BOTTOM SURFACE OF SAID LARGER RAIL BASE ONLY AT THE TOP OF SAID LOCKING SHOULDER AND AT A POINT ON THE CURVED UNDER-RAIL PORTION OF SAID LOOP LOCATED INTERMEDIATE SAID TERMINAL BEARING AND THE POINT OF TANGENCY OF SAID LOOP WITH SAID FLAT FRICTIONAL FACE, WHICH LATTER POINT OF CONTACT, WHEN THE ANCHOR IS TURNED TO SAID ANGULAR POSITION, EXTENDS ABOVE SAID POINT OF TANGENCY, AND A LOCKING LUG FOR LOCKING THE ANCHOR IN ITS APPLIED POSITION ON SAID RAIL BASE OF LARGER SIZE CLASSIFICATION. 